D10, LA Dreams of Tea

[Hotaru Tsuyo]

Seated at the decidedly non-magnetic table, Tsuyo unpacks her Yume-do themed tea set, the swirling grey-toned colors matching the bluish-grey sparkling slice of asteroid. Glancing up at her companion, she asks, "what tea've you got today? Somethin' strong for running whatever they've got in that fancy Enigma room?"

[Hotaru Sakura]

Sakura smiled, as she laid out the tea, following the steps of the ceremony.

"Something that the Fox have gifted to us. It's...mintish, actually. Some green tea, I believe."

OOC:
D10 Espionage, Tea Ceremony/Void, Tsuyo, tn 15 | 3k3 ⇒ 21 (TN: 15)

[Hotaru Tsuyo]

Tea remained a relaxing thing, even drunk from a suit's hydration tube when deep inside a mine. Watching the younger Firefly prepare the water, prepare the tea, pause for appreciation of the scent that immediately filled the space...Tsuyo was reminded of Dechen trying to show her the proper steps so she could stumble through...

"Smells great. Mint's a good wake-me-up kind of smell." She smiles, eyes crinkling. "Reminds me of the first time I made tea for the folks I was hopin' would be in-laws. I didn't drop anythin' and didn't oversteep, so I counted that a success."

Accepting the small cup when it's presented, she adds, "Have you had Yurei-san by for tea or snacks lately? She's doin' ok, yeah? Season's been busy, and I think she had a bit ta deal with."

[Hotaru Sakura]

Sakura smiled. "We've spent a bit more time at her place...our old place, I guess." Sakua, who just stumbled through the embassy a door a couple hours ago from said place, smiled fondly.

"She'll be a bit busy in the coming days, though I did pack her a lunch today, and some snacks." She tilted a head in appreciation at Tsuyo's story.

"That sounds so stressful. How did her parents handle the meeting?"

[Hotaru Tsuyo]

"Well, there's some kind of privacy there, I imagine," she says before sipping the tea--hot and mint-cool all at once. Her tone is rather carefully bland as she mentions privacy.

"As for my tea-makin', it was in this little apartment we had there while my folks were tryin' to do this court stuff that winter, so at least I wasn't servin' on a stinky ship." There's a grin as she lowers the cup. "But yeah, nerve-wrackin' Carvin' gives you steady hands at least, but I was so focused I wasn't really listenin' well at all. Seppun Hana-sama went right to the point and asked what my interest was in their daughter, and I thought we'd just headed into the 'politely talkin' about the tea' part of the ceremony and was like 'tastes great! full-bodied!"

She pauses. "Was real quiet for a few minutes before that got straightened out..."

"I did a sketch of her mom's face from memory that I still stick in odd spots on the ship for Dechen ta find for a laugh."

[Hotaru Sakura]

"Well, there's some kind of privacy there, I imagine," she says before sipping the tea--hot and mint-cool all at once. Her tone is rather carefully bland as she mentions privacy.

"As for my tea-makin', it was in this little apartment we had there while my folks were tryin' to do this court stuff that winter, so at least I wasn't servin' on a stinky ship." There's a grin as she lowers the cup. "But yeah, nerve-wrackin' Carvin' gives you steady hands at least, but I was so focused I wasn't really listenin' well at all. Seppun Hana-sama went right to the point and asked what my interest was in their daughter, and I thought we'd just headed into the 'politely talkin' about the tea' part of the ceremony and was like 'tastes great! full-bodied!"

She pauses. "Was real quiet for a few minutes before that got straightened out..."

"I did a sketch of her mom's face from memory that I still stick in odd spots on the ship for Dechen ta find for a laugh."

Sakura let out a laugh, before quickly slapping her hand on her face.

It took a few long wheezing moment to finish. "Oh my, Benten's tits....sounds like a good start." It took her another moments to actually get to her tea, and sip it without snorting. "How long it took you to notice?"

She smiled widely, placing the tea down for a moment, her eye wandering to her new outfit...unfolded. How do you even fold that many ruffles?!

[Hotaru Tsuyo]

Sakura let out a laugh, before quickly slapping her hand on her face.

It took a few long wheezing moment to finish. "Oh my, Benten's tits....sounds like a good start." It took her another moments to actually get to her tea, and sip it without snorting. "How long it took you to notice?"

She smiled widely, placing the tea down for a moment, her eye wandering to her new outfit...unfolded. How do you even fold that many ruffles?!

Tsuyo joins in the laughter herself "Oh...I realized soon's I looked at her face and my brain kinda caught up with what was said. There was a lot of apologizin'. Dechen still teases. The holo message that came in with all these new folks at the start of court had her modelin' the baby bump and sayin' she could finally show me what 'full-bodied' really looks like." She sigh slightly, still smiling but missing family as she sips at the tea in front of her.

As her eyes follow Sakura's the smile widens to a grin. "For the next party? Or just hopin' to model that for...someone?" She teases. "So frilly. You'll be smashin' some stereotypes of Firefly gals in that one for sure."

[Hotaru Sakura]

Sakura smiled." Well, it seems you two share a good sense of humor."

She eyed the dress. "A..bit of both, I guess? It's specially made, and well...I'm hoping Hotaru-sama finds my service to be of use, and I get to keep working with him in a more diplomatic capability, not just as a librarian. And well, dressing a part never hurts. It's...it was inspired by something Bayushi Mariko wore at the spirit realms Expo."

[Hotaru Tsuyo]

Sakura smiled." Well, it seems you two share a good sense of humor."

She eyed the dress. "A..bit of both, I guess? It's specially made, and well...I'm hoping Hotaru-sama finds my service to be of use, and I get to keep working with him in a more diplomatic capability, not just as a librarian. And well, dressing a part never hurts. It's...it was inspired by something Bayushi Mariko wore at the spirit realms Expo."

"Tch, your services have been fantastic. Well, far's I can see. If Hotaru-sama doesn't say so, I'd wonder what kinda help he usually gets for court, and where they find 'em among the usual bunch of miners and merchants." She reaches to rub a bit of the fabric between thumb and forfinger with a low hmmm. "Modelin' after a fashionable Scorpion's not a bad instinct here, I'd guess. Fits in and looks sharp, but not too copycat, I hope?"

"Nice stuff too. Where'd you have it made?"

[Hotaru Sakura]

"Tch, your services have been fantastic. Well, far's I can see. If Hotaru-sama doesn't say so, I'd wonder what kinda help he usually gets for court, and where they find 'em among the usual bunch of miners and merchants." She reaches to rub a bit of the fabric between thumb and forfinger with a low hmmm. "Modelin' after a fashionable Scorpion's not a bad instinct here, I'd guess. Fits in and looks sharp, but not too copycat, I hope?"

"Nice stuff too. Where'd you have it made?"

Sakura smiled and blushed. "Ha, perhaps. Well, I like the Firefly, so hopefully all will work out well. Ie, I wouldn't think it's too copycat-ish." She took a sip. "It's not quite as daring as what she wore, it's kind of crossed with a bit more traditional. Oh, and I made the dress. It's very easy to work with, after I managed to process it properly."

[Hotaru Tsuyo]

Sakura smiled and blushed. "Ha, perhaps. Well, I like the Firefly, so hopefully all will work out well. Ie, I wouldn't think it's too copycat-ish." She took a sip. "It's not quite as daring as what she wore, it's kind of crossed with a bit more traditional. Oh, and I made the dress. It's very easy to work with, after I managed to process it properly."

Eyebrows life in surprise. "You're a tailor too?" Reaching over, she lifts the dress a bit to have a better look. "That's a lot of work there. Really impressive." She laughs. "Might be we have another well-known artist in a few years, neh? Good world for launching a fashion line from someday."

[Hotaru Sakura]

Eyebrows life in surprise. "You're a tailor too?" Reaching over, she lifts the dress a bit to have a better look. "That's a lot of work there. Really impressive." She laughs. "Might be we have another well-known artist in a few years, neh? Good world for launching a fashion line from someday."

"Ano...not sure. I just did this one, and well...I guess it worked?" She shrugged. "Though I am interested in picking it up, I guess. Might even have some time for it, if Hotaru-sama allows?"

[Hotaru Tsuyo]

"Ano...not sure. I just did this one, and well...I guess it worked?" She shrugged. "Though I am interested in picking it up, I guess. Might even have some time for it, if Hotaru-sama allows?"

"Once the winter's done, oughta be more time. Things quiet down a lot for the spring." Her gaze grows more appraising, turning the fabric this way and that. "If this is just a lark, you'd be amazin' with a bit more trainin'. Wouldn't be much ta hire a seamstress for a bit for that. I'm serious. We've got our own planet now, and a stake in bigger things. There's more ways than ore to extend our influence and all."

"Where'd the fabric come from? Not exactly silk is it? Something engineered?"

[Hotaru Sakura]

"Once the winter's done, oughta be more time. Things quiet down a lot for the spring." Her gaze grows more appraising, turning the fabric this way and that. "If this is just a lark, you'd be amazin' with a bit more trainin'. Wouldn't be much ta hire a seamstress for a bit for that. I'm serious. We've got our own planet now, and a stake in bigger things. There's more ways than ore to extend our influence and all."

"Where'd the fabric come from? Not exactly silk is it? Something engineered?"

"Ha, arigatou, but the material was really easy to work with." She smiled. "It's from the Desolation, a Soshi Genetech lab. Something with spiders and..other animals, I believe." She smiled sheepishly. "Not exactly fully legal to acquire, but hey. I'm not complaining. Does Tsuyo-sama have any plans for the future?"

[Hotaru Tsuyo]

"Ha, arigatou, but the material was really easy to work with." She smiled. "It's from the Desolation, a Soshi Genetech lab. Something with spiders and..other animals, I believe." She smiled sheepishly. "Not exactly fully legal to acquire, but hey. I'm not complaining. Does Tsuyo-sama have any plans for the future?"

Tsuyo's eyes widen "oooo, experimental fabrics? Hope you saved the scraps to pass along for analysis. Nice work all around, though."

She sips her tea, considering the question. "Well...There's a bit of time where I'll join Dechen off in a Crab comet field," she's a bit sparse on precise details because they'd just found the usual easy to spot bugs on the morning sweep. There were probably at least that many that they didn't find. "Get in a bit of research, maybe pull a few chunks to work on while we head to the Kaiu to get the ship's nursery set up. Tryin' to line up some kinda job that'd let us sit on a planet through next winter though. Let the little get some good gravity that's not under the domes like Amanoseki is right now."

She grins, "how about you? Yurei settlin' in with you yet?"

[Hotaru Sakura]

Sakura nodded. "Let me know if I can help with anything. Mayb I can look into some possible things...or maybe we can see if Seika-sama might have some potential contracts for you? I did mention you to her. Maybe somewhere alongside a nice beach planet?" She took a sip of tea, enjoying the flavor, the calm...

"Ah, in what way? We are...still getting used to it all, I think. It's familiar, but new?"

[Hotaru Tsuyo]

Sakura nodded. "Let me know if I can help with anything. Mayb I can look into some possible things...or maybe we can see if Seika-sama might have some potential contracts for you? I did mention you to her. Maybe somewhere alongside a nice beach planet?" She took a sip of tea, enjoying the flavor, the calm...

"Ah, in what way? We are...still getting used to it all, I think. It's familiar, but new?"

"Hmm...someplace with a beach would probably appeal to Dechen. But I expect I'll pick up some smaller projects for a bit. Only so many people willing to have giant space rocks worked on" There's a faraway sort of smile as she imagines her wife in a bathing suit.

"Yeah, familiar because friends and new because more? Sounds good at least."